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In a speech to a group of Republicans last summer, Karl Rove called Colorado “ground zero” in the 2012 presidential election and said that “as goes Colorado, so goes the nation.”

If Rove was right about Colorado, Mitt Romney is in deep trouble. A poll taken last month showed President Obama with a seven-point lead in the state. That was down from a 13-point lead in April, primarily because Mitt Romney had gained some traction among unaffiliated voters. But Obama led among Latinos by 27 points. Among women, he led by 14 points.

The GOP’s problems among those two voting blocs are well known. Republicans have performed poorly among women for some time. John Kerry beat George W. Bush by seven points among female voters in the 2004 election, and Obama had a 13-point advantage among women in 2008. The firestorm during the GOP primary season over reproductive rights did nothing to help the Republican brand, and if the preferences of Colorado voters are any indication, another double-digit victory for Obama among women is likely.

The GOP is in even bigger trouble among Latinos. A recent USA Today/Gallup poll showed that they favor Obama by a devastating 41 points (66 percent versus 25 percent), and there is little chance that the numbers will improve much for Romney. Trapped by a base that settles for nothing less than militantly anti-immigrant policies and rhetoric, he’s left with little to offer Latinos.

It’s nearly impossible to win national elections with those kinds of poll numbers. One might even be tempted to say that the GOP’s only hope is to suppress the vote. Women make up 51 percent of the U.S. population, and Latinos make up about 16 percent.

But those voting blocs are barely the beginning of the GOP’s problems.

The most startling revelation from the June poll in Colorado is that Romney leads Obama among senior citizens by 14 points—but loses among everyone else by 12 points. Voters under 30 prefer Obama by a margin of 30 percent. This means the elderly, particularly older white males, are the GOP’s savior. The sole reason that Romney has any chance of winning this fall is that elderly vote in greater numbers than any other voting bloc. In the 2010 mid-term election, 61 percent of the population over the age of 64 voted—compared with just 37 percent of citizens between 25 and 44, and 21 percent of the voting-age population under 25. The GOP would be on the edge of oblivion if the percentage of young and middle-aged people who vote were equal to that of seniors.

The fact that the elderly are a pillar of the GOP’s base poses a delicate problem. Seniors are, by definition, nearing the end of their lives. So the most important pillar of party’s base is gradually disappearing.

New waves of middle-aged people move into the category of the elderly all the time, obviously. But the key question for the GOP is whether the elderly will vote so reliably Republican a few years down the road. There’s good reason to doubt it—or, at least, there’s reason to doubt whether they will continue to do so if the party doesn’t fundamentally reform itself.

For several decades the GOP has been a strange marriage of two opposed political orientations: libertarianism and authoritarianism. The libertarian element believes in small government, low taxes, and as little government interference as possible in citizens’ private lives and in the workings of the economy. The authoritarian element believes in big government in certain sectors (especially the military and national-security spheres), and it favors the use of government’s power to promote “pro-moral” behavior.

The two orientations share a hatred of government intervention in the economic realm, a hatred that has been strong enough to keep the GOP’s marriage of libertarians and authoritarians together. Libertarians focus on what they like about Republicans’ “free market” economics. Authoritarians focus on the GOP’s “God and country” orthodoxy and ignore the libertarian element’s concern with civil liberties and its skepticism toward military adventures.

The GOP’s divided heart accounts for the party’s awful record of ballooning the national debt. Its base encourages Republicans to simultaneously love and hate government. So GOP leaders promote and pass huge and costly new initiatives (the Iraq war, Medicare Part D) while aggressively cutting taxes and decrying the evils of “big government.”

The great dilemma for the GOP is that there’s no future in the kind of social conservatism that now appeals strongly to the elderly. The Silent generation that preceded Baby Boomers is far more likely than younger generations to favor restrictions on civil liberties and to oppose gay rights and drug legalization. They’re also more likely to be religious and have a positive view of religion’s role in our national life. According to a Pew Research Center study released last year, 78 percent of people in the Silent generation believe that religion is “key to the nation’s success.” Just 46 percent of the Millennial generation (i.e., young people) agree with that idea.

It may be true that people grow more conservative and more religious with age, but the tide of opinion is moving in an irreversible direction on gay rights and drug legalization. Authoritarians are losing those battles. And the institutional religion that has been the heart of the religious right—and thus of the GOP’s authoritarian wing—is declining in relevance among Millennials.

As Sean Trende, of Real Clear Politics, has pointed out, political parties are continually in the process of shifting and reforming and putting together new coalitions, and the GOP will surely survive its imminent crisis in some fashion. But its reinvented form is likely to be more heavily libertarian than authoritarian, which means that we can expect a redoubling of the party’s anti-tax and austerity obsessions in coming years. Republicans might also develop some interest in defending civil liberties, difficult as that is to imagine.

Meanwhile, the GOP’s steep disadvantage among young people, women, African-Americans, and Latinos gives the party little margin for error. It’s so heavily reliant on white, elderly voters that any factor that depresses their turnout, or increases the turnout of other voting blocs, threatens to give the election to the Democrats. In Colorado this fall, for example, there will be an initiative on the ballot asking whether the state should legalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana. Young people are expected to turn out in higher-than-usual numbers to vote in favor. It’s yet another bad omen for Romney in Colorado.

Asked about the pot initiative recently, Romney naturally dodged the question. He is the perfect embodiment of the Republican Party’s divided heart. He’s deeply religious, apparently, but can’t or won’t say how his religion has shaped his life and politics. He promises to increase military spending and make war more aggressively—while cutting taxes and reducing the debt. He believes in freedom, except when it applies to people and practices he dislikes.

Libertarian? Authoritarian? Opportunistic? Yes, he’s all that and more.

Theo Anderson, an In These Times writing fellow, has contributed to the magazine since 2010. He has a Ph.D. in modern U.S. history from Yale and writes on the intellectual and religious history of conservatism and progressivism in the United States. Follow him on Twitter @Theoanderson7 and contact him at theo@inthesetimes.com.

I know. Even when Mitt gets in, baring a miracle it will take us 50 years to get out of Obamas mess.

Posted by Summer on 2012-07-14 16:27:21

Well, if you read the above article, it's going to be that way for a LONG LONG time, so you'd better buck up, Summer!

The long demographic winter that the GOP will never, ever recover from can't come soon enough.

Posted by Richard_Metzger on 2012-07-14 16:19:39

The dems have been in charge for over 40 years, and look at where the black employment is.I think the facts speak for themselves Richard.

Posted by Summer on 2012-07-14 15:19:28

"You're fat and ugly!"

"You're fatter and uglier!

And so forth on the low IQ mental hamster wheel of conservative trolls.

Feel better about yourself, do ya, Summer?

Posted by Richard_Metzger on 2012-07-14 15:16:13

Dave, thanks for the generally reasoned and respectful post (except of course of the continued demonization of "liberal democrats", but I suppose liberal bashing is de riguer for some here). I think you didn't read my earlier post correctly. I AGREE that entitlements need reform, and I ranked them ahead of war in terms of impact on the budget. However, I do tend to agree with the general liberal view that a dollar spent on providing healthcare to a citizen is a dollar better spent than chasing a bunch Iraqis down rabbit holes, or dollars being sent to rebuild a country where we've caught or killed most of the people that attacked our country.

Also, I've looked into it, and I agree that social security does contribute to the deficit, my apologies. My understanding of how that system works was incorrect.

In relation to entitlements, I'm not an expert, but the Ryan-Wyden plan certainly appears to go some way towards addressing the issues associated with the out of control entitlement system that we have, but Republicans, like Democrats are too afraid to call it entitlement reform. Also, the large tax cuts passed on to so called "job creators" are a bunch of fluff, and I totally disagree that we can afford to pass those on while there is still a 15Trillion deficit.

We had a workable defict reduction plan that was almost agreed to by Obama and Boehner, and then scuttled by a rabidly anti-tax republican party, which annoyed me no end, as well as the ridiculous fight over the debt ceiling which resulted in a downgrade of our credit limit. This combined with Obama's ridiculous budgets (and lack thereof) lead me to think that no one actually wants to solve problems in this country, and compromise is a dirty word. We've been hijacked by extremists, and this time its our own childish ideological politicians.

Posted by AshMat on 2012-07-10 23:00:14

It's a standard tactic of the left, to try to characterize anyone who believes in borders as "anti-immigrant." It's closely related to the largely discredited "call them racists and hope that they'll shut up" argument. The fact is, that there are good reasons to oppose large scale immigration from the third world, whether legal or illegal: The recent wave of Islamic and other third world immigration into the United Kingdom was "legal," as far as I know, but it was extremely bad policy. A "DREAM Act," whether sponsored by Rubio or Reid, would probably be legal in America, but it would be bad policy.

Posted by Brutus on 2012-07-10 16:37:47

Social Security does provide to the deficit because Congress takes money out of Social Security and spends it on budget items. So social security has to be repaid at some time or the other. Accounting rules don't change just because Congress or liberal democrats want them to.

The cost of the war in Afghanistan and Iraq don't amount to a trickle compared to entitlements. Liberal Democrats just can't keep from saying spending a $1 on Iraq and Afghanistan is worse than spending $100,000 on entitlements. No one ever said liberal dems understood basic finance. Actually if you look at the 2010 budget enacted before the Republicans took over the House and the 2011 budget enacted by the Republican House you see a reduction in the deficit. Of course FACTS always get in the way of liberal democratic fantasies.

We need to cut spending and not increase taxes. Of course cutting spending means that Democrats will lose votes because the people they've made dependent on government programs won't like being cut off.

The official unemployment rate is bogus because it doesn't include workers who have come to the end of their official job search period--but are still unemployed! Unemployment is terrible under Obama. Hold your nose if you have to, but vote for Romney in November.

Posted by Alexis Sergius on 2012-07-10 07:19:01

Thank you for your thoughtful answer. I can see how getting people to purchase insurance seems unfair, but if they are going to show up, demanding to get the healthcare when they are sick, isn't that unfair to me, as a responsible citizen?

I paid into social security for years, and planning to retire is a lot more remote to me than having to go to the hospital. I have to pay taxes for fire protection, something which I have never needed. But it would be irresponsible to shift the responsibility to someone else. Do you see my point?

Posted by robynd1230 on 2012-07-09 17:02:48

This is a good article. I am an under-30, black republican working in the public policy arena that often discusses these same issues with others. If Romney loses he will have no one to blame but himself and his campaign advisors who have crafted an overly conservative strategy that undercuts any attempt to build a broad, winning coalition. I would only question the central assumption on which this article's conclusions are based - that of Rove's assertion about Colorado. It would seem that Romney's ability to appeal to white working class voters in midwestern states like Ohio and Wisconsin may overshadow his abysmal numbers with ethnic minorities and women in a state like Colorado.

Posted by Essence82 on 2012-07-09 14:15:12

People in GOP base are growing older? And baby-boomers are entering the ranks of the elderly? I guess the Democrats should just aggressively publicize the Paul Ryan budget- and let the reality of a future without Medicare and Social Security, as well as the looming needless pain of austerity, and the crumbling of our nation's infrastructure appear on the view screen of those who are tempted to let loose the destructive storm of the Grover Norquist horde of business-suited anarchists.I believe that the Democrats would fare well when voters are adequately schooled about the GOP menace.

Posted by bluetah on 2012-07-09 13:36:08

If the shoe fits.................

Posted by Summer on 2012-07-09 11:50:01

"most of us true Americans"....again, your outlook is so narrow.

Posted by human1534 on 2012-07-09 11:33:22

Wow... "diverse" global education.John 3:16 says it best. Thats how to have life.I believe most of us true Americans do not want socialism as our rule of gov.So I will vote Mitt.

Posted by Summer on 2012-07-09 11:25:35

That seems very narrow. I have a real job, a daughter, and a family I love, that's precisely why I wouldn't vote conservative. Our goal for our daughter is to give her a global education, cognizant of the real diversity in our world. Many I've talked to in my overseas travel have a great opinion of Obama. They believe he has rescued America's reputation. They have no idea who or what Romney is.

Posted by human1534 on 2012-07-09 08:39:57

Economic growth boomed? Yay Clinton! The Clinton administration gave us MFN Most Favored Nation trade status for China. Over the next few years, that resulted in 46,000 factories moving to China. One of histories biggest betrayals. All for what? A 300 thousand dollar campaign contribution filtered through a Buddhist temple. Or was it the pacifism or cowardice of an administration unwilling to stand up to China's saber rattling. Government employees can easily perceive that Clinton gave us an economic boost. That was the heyday of public sector collective bargaining. Also the advent of government employees sneaking out of Social Security contribution.

"would have" but didn't very telling. I actually did VOTE REAGAN TWICE... You can continue to vote demoncrat if if you like, but that makes you part of the problem.

Posted by Summer on 2012-07-09 08:26:51

Easy Patrick. Divide and conquer.

Posted by Summer on 2012-07-09 08:25:55

Poor baby. Continuing to blame the republicans when you party has been in control almost 40 years.Your party, the liberals are the problem.

Posted by Summer on 2012-07-09 08:25:35

Far more substantive than anything you have said in the last few days hazmat.

Posted by Summer on 2012-07-09 08:21:51

You are blessed. Most of us are not better off. The real unemployment is 14.5% in case you forgot.

Posted by Summer on 2012-07-09 08:19:27

I say Maturity for sure. Once you grow up, have a real job, a family you love then you vote conservative.

Posted by Summer on 2012-07-09 07:26:20

I am better off than I was 4 years ago. However, apparently unlike you, I do not attribute my (or indeed the nation's) economic success or failure solely to the acts of the POTUS. I know full well that my economic success over the last 4 years has more to do with things like the strength of the industry, decisions made by company leadership, market trends, and state business regulations than it does with something that Obama did.

Posted by MEJO on 2012-07-09 06:02:44

The Republicons are all that is wrong with our country. Hoover and the Republicons left Democrat Roosevelt the Great Depression and Bush and the Republicons left Obama the Great Recession. It took Roosevelt years to get us out of the mess the Republicons left him and Obama is doing a fantastic job getting us out of the mess that the Republicons left him.

Posted by DG on 2012-07-09 05:58:11

I didn't vote for Reagan because I was too young.

BTW, thank you for illustrating my point. You sound like yet another maniac Republican. Good luck with your party for the next 20 years. You'll need it.

Posted by sslatten3 on 2012-07-09 02:49:17

Wrong stupid lying democrat, Bush was intent on giving us Control of our own Retirement dollars and the ability to pass it down to our siblings. The criminal organization of democrats that fiend for power and tax payers dollars had a fit and lied to to old folks using fear tactics (elder abuse).

Democrats were in the COMPLETE MINORITY and coveting the Presidency of George W Bush they had just years earlier attempted to steal and were busted and stopped by the Supreme Court.

Democrats held fundraisers crying .... "We are democrats....Social Security belongs to us ..... and we need to get back to where we belong ... in power"

Democrats do not exist to serve the American people, they exist off the American people and the smug arrogant *ricks believe they are entitled to rule and dictate how we AMERICANS should live our lives.

Posted by RobLACa on 2012-07-09 02:39:25

People who follow the rule of law ans our Constitution are considered nut bags to you. Yet you support the criminal organization of democrats who fiend for power and tax payer dollars and praise the criminal and creep who terrorized women and cost democrats the Majority. He didn't stand up to anyone. He did what he had to do to save his job an d get reelected.

You have some nerve comparing today's Conservatives who respect the rule of law and our Constitution to those treasonous democrat hippies who spit on our Soldiers.

" I would have voted for Reagan in a heartbeat,"

But why didn't you? Because you are full of it.

Posted by RobLACa on 2012-07-09 02:38:09

Why is it that the Left seems to focus on ethnic and special interest groups as voting blocs? Shouldn't the conversation be about what is good for America rather than how a politician can toss favors to different groups to essentially buy their votes? The balkanization of American politics is one of the main reasons the political process in America is so dysfunctional.

Posted by Patrick Shrier on 2012-07-09 02:30:55

Nice "DOPE FIEND MOVE" democrat. Democrats cannot win elections on merit or honesty. Look at how stupid and desperate he is to continue spewing the democrat lies of voter suppression. Prove it loser. You can't and won't because it is a historic fact that democrats commit voter/election fraud and intimidation who have openly stated as policy they will not even be investigating or prosecuting black on white crime of intimidation or suppression at the polling booths.

Keep making up excuses for why Americans kicked well over 700 democrats to the curb in 2010. You criminals are not entitled to rule and dictate how we AMERICANS should live our lives.

By the way you forgot one block of voters the 85% of felons that support democrats who the fight for in every state in hope they be given the right to vote democrat from their prison cells.

Democrats have no business running this Country or holding positions of power at any level of Government. That is why you received and deserved that historic shellacking and the one you are going to get in 2012.

Posted by RobLACa on 2012-07-09 02:15:39

No...it's single women that are the issue with Republicans...not "women".

Posted by Random_acct on 2012-07-09 02:05:57

This article perfectly sums up why I still can't vote Republican, despite wanting to. I would have voted for Reagan in a heartbeat, but he would barely recognize today's GOP.

Every time I hear something I like from a sensible Republican like NM Gov. Gary Johnson or Herman Cain, they are drowned out by nut-cases like Michelle Bachmann or Sarah Palin.

I am conservative on fiscal issues but liberal on social issues and social issues are more important to me when I vote. I do not think Obama has done a good job with the economy, but I'm actually to the left of him on social issues and he's got my vote.

I hate to say it, but the current iteration of the Republican Party is less like a party and more like a cult. It's mostly a collection of grumps, cranks, and social conservatives sprinkled with sensible individuals like the ones I mentioned above.

Honestly, the GOP reminds me of the Democratic Party from 1968 until Clinton won in 1992. Despite his problems, he was very good to the party because he stood up to the crazy base and told them to take a flying f***.

Somebody needs to stand up to the nut-case wing of the GOP. It sure as hell ain't gonna be Romney. He's terrified of his own shadow.

Posted by sslatten3 on 2012-07-09 01:23:02

Do not forget to say that Obama also inherited the worst economey. His Bumblancy, George Bush, left a mess and yet you are totally silent because admitting to it will not serve you.

Posted by Tom on 2012-07-09 01:20:50

Wrong stupid lying democrat, Bush was intent on giving us Control of our own Retirement dollars and the ability to pass it down to our siblings. The criminal organization of democrats that fiend for power and tax payers dollars had a fit and lied to to old folks using fear tactics (elder abuse).

Democrats were in the COMPLETE MINORITY and coveting the Presidency of George W Bush they had just years earlier attempted to steal and were busted and stopped by the Supreme Court.

Democrats held fundraisers crying .... "We are democrats....Social Security belongs to us ..... and we need to get back to where we belong ... in power"

Democrats do not exist to serve the American people, they exist off the American people and the smug arrogant *ricks believe they are entitled to rule and dictate how we AMERICANS should live our lives.

Posted by RobLACa on 2012-07-09 01:05:47

Bonds indeed. They produced absolutely nothing in terms of economic growth. The proportionally minute yields were pocketed, as they are intended to be. Keep up with your Glen Beck economics 101 though. It's cute.

Posted by MythBuster on 2012-07-09 00:43:11

We call this static analysis.....I mean the article. It gives a great snap shot of the present but is unreliable long term!

Posted by William Starr on 2012-07-09 00:37:22

Wow, where to begin.

1. Women have voted more for Democrats than Republicans since the 1970's. The gap is smaller for Romney than for any GOP candidate in a long time. Republicans have won 5 of the last 8 elections and are likely to win this one because men favor the GOP in comparable numbers.

2. I have been hearing that the GOP must pander on open borders to Hispanic voters in order to stay competitive since Time magazine did a cover story in 1978.

Hispanics make up 13% of the population, but only 10% of the electorate. 25% will vote for the GOP every time, because they are Cuban or evangelical social issue voters. 55% will vote Dem every time and no amount of pandering will change their minds. That means 20% of 10% (or 2% of all voters) are persuadable Hispanics. They are not single issue open borders voters and any attempt to treat them as such and pander will alienate a portion of the white working class equal to far more than 2% of all voters.

3. In 1970, I was reading articles about how young people smoked dope, screwed around, dodged the draft and that because the Democrats were cool with this, we would see a permanent Democratic majority. The Constitutional amendment that lowered the voting age to 18 in 1971 was supposed to insure an anti Nixon landslide in 1972. Nixon won 62%. Young voters do not vote reliably until they get older and when that happens, they tend to become more conservative.

4. Pick a number: the GOP have won 2 of the last 3, 5 of the last 8, 7 of the last 11. This is going to get worse for the Dems. Obama cannot win reelection with employment above 8% and growth tiny to non existent. If a combination of common sense policies and the natural business cycle produce a Romney recovery, the Dems are looking at another wilderness period comparable to 1980-2008 Carter backlash period, when voters elected Republicans (Reagan, Bush, Bush) and Democrats who sounded like the GOP (Clinton).

Posted by Lance on 2012-07-09 00:19:28

Everybody WANTED to work with Reagan. The man was a true bridge-builder. We need that more than ever now, especially since oblama has worked hardest at inciting class warfare!

Posted by Rtist2012 on 2012-07-09 00:11:24

This author really knows nothing of what he is talking about. So many skewed, biased, baseless assumptions in this article it's not even funny. Obviously this writer subscribes to the belief that if you say something enough times and want it to be true badly enough - that you can create reality. Sucks to be you.

Posted by Rtist2012 on 2012-07-08 23:59:49

This problem with this thesis is simply that Hispanic ARE NOT socially liberal. Although they vote democratic, they do not have the attachment to the Ds like Blacks do. In addition, unless educatgion rises they may be rising demographic they are not rising porportionally as voters.

Posted by William Starr on 2012-07-08 23:45:59

because if the government can force you to buy something we cease to be a free society. You like it because it is healthcare, but what if you had to buy and keep a loaded gun for self defense, or had to buy an electric car because it is better for the environment or had to buy a house to eradicate homelessness, or had to buy a hundred other things based on political whim. It is not the governments job to tell people how to live. Rulers tell people how to live and Americans revolted before when this happened.

Posted by married 20+ years on 2012-07-08 23:34:13

@ strangerqEconomic growth boomed in spite of clinton's tax hikes. The growth was primarily due to the high interest rate for bonds during Reagan and the bonds coming into maturity flooding capital into the private sector. That whole private equity thing that liberals hate.Please know your history before you chastise someone else.

Posted by married 20+ years on 2012-07-08 23:20:08

Not a very mature statement. I'd credit it to nostalgia and fear, more than "maturity".

Posted by human1534 on 2012-07-08 22:30:17

This author has everything backwards.......it is the democrat/leftist party which is about to march into the dustbin of history.

People are beginning to see how bankrupt the democrat party is in it's ability to address the gargantuan problems now facing America......gargantuan problems which have been brought on by "progressive" policies of the democrat/leftist party beginning in the depression, and policies which have become increasingly socialist, unaffordable, and unworkable as each decade has progressed.

People see this, and they are turning away from the democrat/leftist party.

The democrat/leftist party has an ideology of lies and propaganda, all to further their agenda. They never give up. Once they put in place one massive "progressive" policy, its on to the next one....always "transforming" America....into what?....into just another failed socialist/marxist state.

Americans see what is happening in Europe as these unworkable welfare states crash and burn under the weight of unsustainable government handouts.

This is not, has never been the "American Way"....and people are seeing how hopeless the government debt and unfunded liabilities are.

Chicago, the bastion of democrat one party rule for generations, has reported that their UNFUNDED liabilities just to cover the pensions of the Chicago city workers is $105 BILLION......that is one city.....$105 billion !

Democrat cities and states are going bankrupt now, or are on the verge of going bankrupt. This will soon be happening to the country at large....yet you hear NOTHING in the news on this, nor does the democrat/leftist party dare discuss it. They have no plan to address it, they are incapable of addressing it. They need to keep the big state goodies being doled out to their constituents, to keep running the country into the ground....but, it will all be coming to a big halt very, very soon.....and IF Obama is reelected, his regime will not have even the faintest clue what to do.

These are some things people are beginning to see.

Everyone knows people who voted for Obama last time, and have no intention of doing so again. Yet, few if any know of people who voted against Obama last time, but now support him. Thus, the polls are probably wrong.

The republican party is not on the verge of death....it is at a new beginning, as the new BIG TENT party where everyone can come together to try to save this nation of ours which has been such a shining light to people around the world.

It is the democrat /leftist party which is on the death watch. They have a very tired, bankrupt philosophy....they are simply unable to govern the country with common sense government....their ideology prevents them from being able to do so.

Romney, I think will win, as the months go on, people will conclude that reelecting Obama will risk entering a new depression. But, if we want to begin the long, huge effort of tackling the problems which face the nation....and they are overwhelming.....then Romney is the answer.

If Romney can win FL, OH and VA, he will only need to win ONE other battleground state of these:

NH, PA, MI, WI, IA, CO, NV

This is very doable.

The republican party will become the new BIG TENT party.....NEEDS to become the new BIG Tent party, if America is to have a chance to be restored...... And the democrat/leftist party?.........they are now in the process of marching into the dustbin of history.

Posted by Dan Kimble on 2012-07-08 22:23:45

It sure gets boring to hear about the republican party demise, the end of conservatism. ....bla bla....the author is a professor at Yale university....enough said...The youth can prefer Obama by 60 points but they won't come out to vote...and notice that there is no poll numbers for those over 44 but under 64....I am one of them and I would vote for a mule before I would vote for obama...

Posted by joe on 2012-07-08 22:21:58

Really, the midterms didn't bring out a broad electorate in 2010 and Republicans know that. Blacks, Hispanics, college educated moderates, and young people stayed home in large numbers in 2010. This made the electorate more white. The whiter the electorate, the better for the GOP. This is why there are efforts to suppress black, hispanic, young, and low-income voters because they vote overwhelmingly Democratic. 2012 is going to be a different story. Just like 2006, a lot of conservatives stayed home.

Posted by J Greg Harris on 2012-07-08 22:11:11

That maybe true, but you will need to apply the same logic for Ronald Reagan. Many will argue that a Democratic House made Reagan a good president because the Dems worked with Reagan to raise taxes to trim deficits, protect the social safety net, and maintain a stable public sector that buoyed the private sector.

Posted by J Greg Harris on 2012-07-08 22:06:49

These older voters are more like value voters. They don't like the cultural changes that they see take place. Older voters vote in bigger numbers than young. In the next coming months is unemployment were to some how drop below 8% Obama will have a stronger shot at winning because what he will do is increase his support among blue collar white voters. If unemployment drops to 7.8%-7.9% Obama can crack 40%-41% of the white vote nationally and squeak out a 52%-48% victory. The reason also is because Romney is a deeply flawed candidate in an extremely unpopular Republican party and Congress. Obama will be the weakest incumbant president to get re-elected if that happens.

Posted by J Greg Harris on 2012-07-08 22:03:40

This author has everything backwards.......it is the democrat/leftist party which is about to march into the dustbin of history.

People are beginning to see how bankrupt the democrat party is in it's ability to address the gargantuan problems now facing America......garagantuan problems which have been brought on by "progressive" policies of the democrat/leftist party beginning in the depression, and policies which have become increasingly socialist, unaffordable, and unworkable as each decade has progressed.

People see this, and they are turning away from the democrat/leftist party.

The democrat/leftist party has an ideology of lies and propaganda, all to further their agenda. They never give up. Once they put in place one massive "progressive" policy, its on to the next one....always "transforming" America....into what?....into just another failed socialist/marxist state.

Americans see what is happening in Europe as these unworkable welfare states crash and burn under the weight of unsustainable government handouts.

This is not, has never been the "American Way"....and people are seeing how hopeless the government debt and unfunded liabilities are.

Chicago, the bastion of democrat one party rule for generations, has reported that their UNFUNDED liabilities just to cover the pensions of the Chicago city workers is $105 BILLION......that is one city.....$105 billion.

Democrat cities and states are going bankrupt now, or are on the verge of going bankrupt. This will soon be happening to the country at arge....yet you hear NOTHING in the news on this, not does the democrat/leftist party dare discuss it. They have no plan to address it, they are incapable of addressing it. They need to keep the big state goodies being doled out to their constituents, to keep running the country into the ground....but, it will al be coming to a big halt very, very soon.....and IF Obama is reelected, his regime wil not have even the faintest clue what to do.

These are some things people are beginning to see.

Everyone knows people who voted for Obama last time, and have no intention of doing so again. Yet, few if any know of people who voted against Obama last time, but now support him. Thus, the polls are probably wrong.

The republican party is not on the verge of death....it is at a new beginning, as the new BIG TENT party where everyone can come together to try to save this nation of ours which has been such a shining light to p-eople around the world.

It is the democrat /leftist party which is on the death watch. They have a very tired, bankrupt philosophy....they are simply unable to govern the country with common sense government....their ideology prevents them from being able to do so.

Romney, I think will win, as the months go on, people will conclude that if we want to risk entering a new depression, then Obama will be reelected. But, if we want to begin the long huge effort of tackling the problems which face the nation....and they are overwhelming.....then Romney is the answer.

If Romney can win FL, OH and VA, he will only need to win ONE other battleground state of these:

NH, PA, MI, WI, IA, CO, NV

This is very doable.

The republican party wil become the new BIG TENT party.....and the democrat/leftist party?.........they are now in the process of marching into the dustbin of history.

Posted by Dan Kimble on 2012-07-08 22:02:53

And Newt was speaker of the house then and should be the nominee now.

Posted by Surly Curmudgen on 2012-07-08 21:46:34

Why the GOP is obsessed with this anti-abortion nonsense is beyond me. It is total big government authoritarianism and we are losing elections over a cultural issue we can't do anything about. If a woman wants to kill her own unborn flesh and blood, then, its is between her and god and the republican party should stay out of it. Its the churches that are supposed to handle moral issues.

Posted by Hacim Obmed on 2012-07-08 21:38:41

Seems I heard this all before. In 2010 you seemed to say the republicans were dead. I hope you folks keep it up since any liberal/progressive will think they don't have to show up to vote. So go ahead!!!! Here let me help; I agree completely with you republicans/conservatives/teaparty are done for!!! Have a nice day!

Posted by testandverify on 2012-07-08 21:23:43

Youre also missing a key element, Clinton worked with repubs to pass his tax raises.^ Puhlezze what garbage. The fanatical GOP is opposed to tax raises and will not agree whether you work with them or not.Why are you even pretending otherwise.And stop trying to re-write history - The GOP hated Clinton and shut the Government down to try to force him to cut Medicare.But the public sided with the President and against the GOP.If you want to call that "cooperation" fine.The *key point* is that after Clinton raised taxes on the rich, economic growth boomed.

Posted by strangerq on 2012-07-08 21:15:40

And WHO said anything at all about what party created or supported Social Security or Medicare? Why are you changing the subject? I said Social Security and Medicare are funded by taxes and a trust fund and are NOT to be confused with welfare or "the dole" as Buck here has done. Capische?Oh and, BTW, if you insist on changing the subject, privatizing Social Security (for younger folks) does not impact current Social Security in any way and it was Obama, not Ryan, who stole 500 Billion from Medicare in order to help fund Obamacare.

Posted by CincinnatiRIck on 2012-07-08 21:15:32

Traditionally Americans have favored candidates with positive messages. That message can either come by example (i.e., look how well we are doing), or it can be something the candidate has said which persuades people (i.e., hope and change). I think the biggest problem Republicans have now is their chief goal has been to get Democrats out of office, and their chief tactic has been to just say "no" to everything. This has taken focus away from delivering a positive message. The American people will change horses in mid-stream, but they need a better message than the Republicans have been able to project to do it.

Posted by clawhammerjake on 2012-07-08 21:14:03

I don't believe Romney can do, to the GOP, what Obama has done to the Democrats. Obama has the Democrats defending, not trying to do a thing when they have control of the Senate, but defending an 8.2% unemployment rate. The Democrats have a Senate that hasn't passed a budget in over 3 years, how can anyone re-elect a senator who ocan't even get a budget passed? The Democrats have Debbie Wasserman-Schultz out there saying the economy is getting better, by creating 80,000 jobs in a month. Today, I heard the best analogy about Obama's unemployment rate. Someone said, it's like putting all your money in the bank and the interest you're making is moving you ahead, but you certainly aren't keeping up with inflation and you can't live on it. If that gets out to the American People, Obama is toast in November.

Posted by bflat879 on 2012-07-08 21:09:45

Combined overlap control, the Democrats have completely controlled Congress for 58 of 77 years.______________________________Then you should credit them with the accomplishments of this country during that time.The Democratic party built the modern American middle class.Won WW II, landed a man on the Moon, etc.. You can't have it both ways.As for this nonsense....Ever wonder why Clinton had that surplus? It is because more Conservative people, for a change, controlled Congress for a very short period of time.^ No. Clinton raised taxes on the rich, while presiding over an economic boom. That's what created the surplus.Bush cut taxes for the rich - and INTENTIONALLY DESTROYED it.How incredibly ignorant are the GOP lackeys who watched W and his nasty bull dog Cheney ravage this great country for 10 years, and yet are still too dense to have the foggiest clue as to what actually happened.It's a good thing the idiotic GOP is die-ing off. That fact gives me hope!!!× Combined overlap control, the Democrats have completely controlled Congress for 58 of 77 years.______________________________ Then you should credit them with the accomplishments of this country during that time. The Democratic party built the modern American middle class. Won WW II, landed a man on the Moon, etc.. Combined overlap control, the Democrats have completely controlled Congress for 58 of 77 years.______________________________ Then you should credit them with the accomplishments of this country during that time. The Democratic party built the modern American middle class. Won WW II, landed a man on the Moon, etc.. You can't have it both ways. As for this nonsense.... Ever wonder why Clinton had that surplus? It is because more Conservative people, for a change, controlled Congress for a very short period of time.<:footer><:footer>^ No. Clinton raised taxes on the rich, while presiding over an economic boom. <:footer> <:footer>That's what created the surplus.<:footer> <:footer>Bush cut taxes for the rich - and INTENTIONALLY DESTROYED it.<:footer> <:footer>How incredibly ignorant are the GOP lackeys who watched W and his nasty bull dog Cheney ravage this great country for 10 years, and yet are still too dense to have the foggiest clue as to what actually happened.<:footer> <:footer>It's a good thing the idiotic GOP is die-ing off. That fact gives me hope!!!<:footer> × Combined overlap control, the Democrats have completely controlled Congress for 58 of 77 years.______________________________ Then you should credit them with the accomplishments of this country during that time. The Democratic party built the modern American middle class. Won WW II, landed a man on the Moon, etc.. Connect withTwitter Facebook Google Disqus or pick a name: What's Disqus? DISQUS is a conversation networkDisqus never moderates or censors. The rules on this community are its own.Your email is safe with us. It's only used for moderation and optional notificationsDon't be a jerk or do anthing illegal. Everything is easier that way.Read full terms & conditions Register with Disqus Use this to preserve your comment history and be notified of replies. PostNext

Posted by talshar on 2012-07-08 21:09:32

I'm surprised that Mitt Romney isn't getting more credit for his support of globalization. The liberalisation of trade has resulted in millions of poor around the world being lifted up from poverty, and created immense wealth for those who were able to take advantage of this opportunity. I would have thought both the Dems (through Clinton), as well as Republicans would be taking credit for this?I know that the Indian middle class probably wouldn't exist if it werent for American outsourcing of back office processing.

Posted by AshMat on 2012-07-08 21:09:11

wow, what an amazingly substantive response. Good to see RWingers really bringing out the logic to argue their points

Posted by AshMat on 2012-07-08 21:03:27

. I don't know whether you aredishonest or merely stupid in conflating Social Security and Medicare (forwhich folks are taxed during their working lifetime) with welfare, SSI________________________I feel the same way about you.Somehow you manage to ignore that Social Security and Medicare were *created by the DEMOCRATIC PARTY*, over the violent opposition of the GOP.You are also ignoring that the GOP has tried over and over again to destroy them both.Bush tried to destroy Social Security and Ryan is trying to destroy Medicare.Why the elderly who support and depend on this programs continue to vote for the GOP is a mystery.

Posted by strangerq on 2012-07-08 21:02:49

Social security isn't contributing to the deficit. The deficit is caused basically by three things, Medicare, Medicaid and War.Reform all of these things, and you'll be a long way towards cutting the deficit. Basically we're funding the rebuilding Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as teh health of old and poor people at the expense of everyone else, particularly the unborn.Another major issue however was an unwillingness on part of Republicans and Democrats to look the American people in the eye and say "hey, these are our spending priorities, and to pay for these, we will need to tax you". This is sparticularly true for the two wars. Has anyone thought that funding wars from a budget deficit was a bad idea? Why not raise taxes to fund those wars?

Posted by AshMat on 2012-07-08 21:02:44

This clown is projecting Statism on the Republicans."The authoritarian element believes in big government in certain sectors (especially the military and national-security spheres), and it favors the use of government’s power to promote “pro-moral” behavior." Aren't the crunchy little anklegrabbers (Hey Barney's Frank got married yesterday) the ones who want to use government to shape everyones's behavior? If there is a party that is undergoing some serious changes it is the Democrats who must be polishing up the CP-USA moniker because they both are sounding the same. Screw the productive, down with private private property (gradually) but the withering away of the proletariat will never happen...not ever.

Posted by Yankeelouie on 2012-07-08 21:01:14

Right, they tend to blip over the free-fall we were in before that "wasteful" stimulus package started kicking in ...

Posted by bleedingheart67 on 2012-07-08 20:59:28

pretty sure turnout in 2010 was heavily skewed towards elderly white people. Mid terms turnout is a very different beast from Presidential turnout.

Posted by AshMat on 2012-07-08 20:55:51

which job numbers are those? basically Republicans assign Obama responsibility for all the job losses that occured in the first 6 months of his presidency, which were basically the majority of job losses, and since then the economy has added 4.4 million private sector jobs. So depends on your definition of job numbers really.

Posted by AshMat on 2012-07-08 20:54:56

And so the US becomes Illinois.

Posted by Mr D on 2012-07-08 20:53:02

explain to me what freedoms you have lost in the last 3 years and I'll start listening to your paranoid fasicst rantings.

Posted by AshMat on 2012-07-08 20:52:31

and you're saying that Republicans would have been against this? I thought that liberalising trade was a fundamental tenet of free market economics? so basically you're saying, good on Democrats for opening up our economy and adhering to free market principles? You should get your back checked out, the contortions you need to do must be painful.

Posted by AshMat on 2012-07-08 20:50:42

They do that wherever they go. I really think the border fence needs to turn north before it reaches the sea....

Posted by Brutus on 2012-07-08 20:50:31

Intelligent and informed people are so tired of the innuendo that there is some sort of hypocrisy in the support for Social Security and Medicare while opposing big government and its intrusion into our lives. I don't know whether you are dishonest or merely stupid in conflating Social Security and Medicare (for which folks are taxed during their working lifetime) with welfare, SSI, Medicaid and other government handouts that were never EARNED.

Hard working Americans would have been far better off investing the FICA and Medicare tax deducted from their pay. So before you brand anyone as a hypocrite for taking Social Security or Medicare from the government, you had better be prepared to refund the taxesthat were extorted as "contributions" to these programs over theyears, WITH INTEREST ACCRUED AND COMPOUNDED. It shouldn't be a problem...it was all safely squirreled away in a "lockbox", wasn't it? No can do? Then you admit that they are both gigantic, actuarily unsound Ponzi schemes and robbing from future generations...exactly as the TEA Party has protested.

Posted by CincinnatiRIck on 2012-07-08 20:49:36

Sorry, Theo, it's not about Romney. The agenda that is up forvoter's review this year is Obama's plans for a "radicaltransformation" (his words, not mine) "of American society."This transformation is not inspired by some foreign Socialism or Communism butAmerican progressivism. And it has succeeded in bringing together andenergizing an inherently fractious opposition coalition.

While, in the public square, currently, those who would enslave you to create autopia on earth (the Progressive authoritarians) have the ascendency, it willbe interesting to see whether those who would enslave you to save your soul(the social conservative authoritarians) will be able to coalition for longwith those who say "save yourself and stay the hell out of my damnedbusiness." In short, the TEA Party and the Social Conservatives are adifficult coalition but plausible in opposition (where all they need agree onis "no") but almost certainly not able to provide a coherentgovernment.

Of course, when the progressive program is as vile as it currently is, justsaying "no" may be quite enough! Progressive authoritarianism (weknow better what is good for you and, if necessary, will ram it down yourthroat) in "enlightened" circles is as taken for granted as the airyou breathe. But it doesn't sit well in mid America.

Maybe the author meant Colorado exit polls. I could not find any from there so it is possible. But keep this in mind. Liberals have been saying the GOP is doomed from 2004 to 2010. Suddenly then they shut up. I wonder why.

Each party has its base. Democrats are young voters, minorities and lower to middle income single women. The GOP's base is middle to upper income white men, middle to upper income married women and older voters. That does not doom the GOP.

If the country changes the political parties will as well. But just because the GOP is not moving to the left does not mean they are doomed. It is much more likely that leftist authors are urging the GOP to move left because they want it to, and lament its sharp turn back to the right. Something tells me GOP strategists and their partisans are a hell of a lot smarter than hopelessly out of touch liberal writers.

Posted by Gabe on 2012-07-08 20:43:58

I read "socialist medicine" in Mr. Hamidog's comment not as a reference to BHO's new tax, but as a metaphorical way to refer to socialism in general, from the new deal through the great society, to sixteen trillion dollars of debt and a disappearing economy. Maybe I read it wrong, but that's how I read it. And the fact that "Republicans" have contributed do the growth of government makes it no less socialist. It just means that conservatives need to do more to make sure that we have a conservative party in the future, whether that be the GOP or some other party.

Who did this poll- the Democratic National Committee sampling 80% Democrats?

Posted by Bteri on 2012-07-08 20:40:22

I remember they were saying the same thing about the Democratic Party in 2004 when John Kerry ran against Bush. The author of this article is clueless about the cyclical nature of the two party system in America. The Republicans Party is just the party of elderly Whites? Are you serious? Who do you think re captured the House of Representatives in 2010. The Republican Party is still alive and well in America.

Posted by D Rapp on 2012-07-08 20:31:20

If Romney doesn't start doing a better job with his campaign, It may not matter what shape the economy is in or how high the unemployment rate is. Romney should be attacking Obama on the economy, unemployment and the crippling taxes of Obamacare. Instead, he's been mostly silent. Romney needs to go after Obama like someone like Newt Gingrich would do. At this point, his campaign has about as much sizzle as John McCain did in 2008, and Romney lost to him in the primaries.Ronald Reagan would be torching Obama's record and putting Obama on the defensive. Instead, Romney just sits and waits for the next Democratic attack and then comes back with some half-hearted defense. It makes it crazy. The table is set for the GOP to win in a landslide and Romney is clueless.

Posted by StLouisConservative on 2012-07-08 20:31:13

As for the economy, Stimulus II for infrastructure jobs. Once poeple are working, they will spend money. The Congress just voted to send money to Iraq and Afganistan for rebuilding (while Compton and Scranton are broke?) What's wrong with this picture? Why can we afford Kabul, and not Kenosha?

Posted by robynd1230 on 2012-07-08 20:30:56

a LANDslide for obama. that is about as probable as Obama wanting to lower taxes for the "rich," which means people who work.

Posted by leetabin on 2012-07-08 20:30:18

Keep wishing. Even if Obama wins, he will hurt the country so badly that the Democrats will be finished, and I doubt if a total incompetent president whose only asset is an idiotic fawning media will win.

Posted by leetabin on 2012-07-08 20:28:40

Why is it so difficult to get behind people getting insurance if they can afford it. I am tired of paying for folks who show up at the ER, knowing they will get treated. I live in Massachusetts. My 28-year-old son has health insurance. It costs him $40 per month, but he has it because of the mandate. Good call.

Posted by robynd1230 on 2012-07-08 20:28:35

We can't keep spending $1Trillion we don't have every year. Social Security requires bipartisan reform. Medicare requires bipartisan reform. We need real tax reform that rewards economic activity and not divisive class warfare that serves no constructive purpose. We need the haves to out number the have nots and the number of have nots has increased substantially in the last five years.

Posted by Dave Thomas on 2012-07-08 20:17:25

Dream on, Mr. Anderson! Make sure you have your article printed and handy to use Mov. 7--will make good starter for the fireplace ...

Posted by Steven on 2012-07-08 19:58:56

The Repubs know that 2012 is shaping up as a landslide for Obama thanks to the vote of the women, Latinos, gays, and the State of Ohio, plus 90% of the black vote and 30 to35% of the caucasian vote.

Posted by Redsfanx on 2012-07-08 19:43:51

So Bill, I'm sure you agree that the jobs numbers under Obama are completely meaningless in evaluating his performance, right?

Posted by bleedingheart67 on 2012-07-08 19:41:41

Did you read the article? Its old people on social security and medicare (not paying taxes and on the dole as you would say) that are voting for the Republicans.

Posted by Buck on 2012-07-08 19:36:50

One could as easily say that Democrats have a hopeless problem in that they can only do well in a handful of urban machine states. Yet I'm willing to bet that both Democrats and Republicans will be elected again in the future. And I will not be surprised if this makes unintentionally funny rereading in November, to go with "Why Bush hasn't got a chance against Kerry" and "Ronald Reagan: Too Crazy For a Sane Electorate"...

Posted by Michael Gebert on 2012-07-08 19:28:55

Obama is going to lose Herbert Hoover sized and for, pretty much, the same reasons. Colorado is about the worst state to poll because of the influx of Californians has made them a "purple," possibly "blue" state.The Californians forgot why the fled their home state and are voting the same way in Colorado.

Posted by tpaine1 on 2012-07-08 19:27:25

What Theo fails to mention is that the poll he refers to was a PPP poll which is left-wing group.

Posted by Goldwater on 2012-07-08 19:22:33

Today, the "Progressives" should be known as the "Regressives" don't you think?

Posted by MisterEd13 on 2012-07-08 19:11:41

Yep, no Republicans will ever be elected to public office again. What nonsense.

Posted by echosyst on 2012-07-08 19:11:27

Youre also missing a key element, Clinton worked with repubs to pass his tax raises. Obama slammed a 60 vote senate for all they were worth.

Posted by JimmyJusticeUSA on 2012-07-08 19:11:00

The writer of this article is so full of shit,it is coming out his mouth.

Posted by twister on 2012-07-08 19:02:38

It's pretty much says it all when you are counting on the dying out of " the greatest generation" to boost your base. What will this new generation of "sacrificers" be called? The gullible? as the country heads towards insolvency. I think the best title is " The lack of accountability generation". Can't blame them. The most powerful men in the world can't lead because of some "hick Senator" from hodunck is stopping him. I'm a Chicago Bulls fan, so I'm glad that a certain Mr. Jordan wasn't so weak.

Posted by Chi_ED on 2012-07-08 18:54:05

Close to a permanent dem majority... too close....We need a change....Mitt.

Posted by Summer on 2012-07-08 18:50:45

DITTO... Numbers can be manipulated.

Posted by Summer on 2012-07-08 18:49:53

Bill Clinton also passed into law a the 93 budget raising taxes on the rich that remained at those levels throught his term. The only difference between Clinton & Obama is that Clinton used his political capital to raise taxes while Obama used it for ObamaCare. Neither had enough capital to do both.

Posted by jeffwarren2 on 2012-07-08 18:47:21

I'm a Liberal-DEM and solid Obama voter who gives him a 90% approval, but there will never be a permanent majority. Any time somebody says this is the end of the DEMs or GOPs, I laugh.

Posted by jeffwarren2 on 2012-07-08 18:45:22

Excellent leadership with Obama. Sweeney, what you smokin' man?

Posted by Summer on 2012-07-08 18:41:56

Clarance what the heck are you saying???A vote for a republican will take us back from Obamas abyss....Mitt 2012

Posted by Summer on 2012-07-08 18:41:27

Whatever it takes.... whatever....Prepare.

Posted by Summer on 2012-07-08 18:40:02

We may be toast... Who really knows. I know most polls in swing states look bad for GOP, and the electoral college looks horrid!If obama wins, it just means we fight harder to undo all he has done.. thats all.Not the end of the world, it will just seem like it.. and yes, we will not be able to undo ObamaTax if Obama gets in.

Posted by Summer on 2012-07-08 18:39:33

Brenda. Wake up. Obama has us at the abyss, and wants to take us over.The informed Americans, the GOP, the independents, the Tea party will not let that happen.Mitt 2012

Posted by Summer on 2012-07-08 18:38:04

Its a simple thing called Maturity. :)

Posted by Summer on 2012-07-08 18:37:06

Honestly, I don't have a crystal ball, and Obama may win. I just hope people do their homework and see that we are not better off than 4 years ago... Even Mr. O said if he didn't have the economy better we SHOULD VOTE HIM OUT... And yes, I will.

Posted by Summer on 2012-07-08 18:36:43

Number one: The ACAPPA is NOT socialized medicine.

Number two: If the the Individual Mandate is "socialize medicine', you only have Conservative Thinkers to thank for it. The idea was championed by The Heritage Foundation and Republicans for years and was based on RomneyCare, which by the way, is working VERY well in Massachusetts.

Number three: The Affordable Health Care and Patient Protection Act does not kick in until 2014, so saying that the working people have "had a nice big spoonful of socialist medicine. they don't like it", is an out right LIE.

Posted by ghhshirley on 2012-07-08 18:34:09

For many many years now 20 somethings have voted democrat...until they get married and have kids and began to see the world through different lense. So if that group stops getting married and stops having kids...yep...your analysis is right on.

Posted by George on 2012-07-08 18:24:19

Poor Theo: he never learned the definition of "illegal" in school. Moron.

Posted by PDQuig on 2012-07-08 18:16:43

Any statistician will tell you that stats by themselves and out of context with the whole are not credible. You must consider a number of other related factors, to validate your position. To rattle of this series in machine gun fashion to prove a point is meaningless. For example a stat on jobs created is misleading without first considering other economic factors of unemployment rate, money supply, fiscal policy, business and consumer confidence, etc.The relationship between a president in office and a particular stat on the economy is without merit. However, if it makes the jerk happy who provides these bullet points tickled to death then so be it.

Posted by Bill Fisc on 2012-07-08 18:14:07

gosh clarence slate magazine, a real credible independent source. Right. Clarence you are full of it

If Obama can win with this economy than the republicans are truly dead. Obama has presided over the worst economic policies and outcomes of the last 50 years. And, yet, he might win. What it tells me is that Obama has enough people not paying taxes and on the dole that he can win no matter what. Scary!

The GOP should go away if it refuses to get down in the gutter and fight the Democrats on their own turf. This is freedom vs. totalitarian socialism. Whatever it takes to crush socialism. Some women and south-of-the-borders want to be freeloaders, whatever. Signifies nothing.

Posted by obamunist_party on 2012-07-08 17:34:01

Combined overlap control, the Democrats have completely controlled Congress for 58 of 77 years. That is 75% of the last 77 years. (Numbers are from Wikipedia – control of Congress and thosenifty visual aids we have there)Who exactly is responsible for the current condition of this country and who exactly is responsible for all these massive “to big to solve”, “to big to cut” entitlement programs?

The answer is the Democrats. The Progressives. The programsthat are such a mess today are their programs, spawned during their massivemajorities in Congress over the last 77 years and starting with the initiationof the FED in 1913 under very suspicious conditions. I suggest reading up on the FED that is a topic all its’ own. This was the most important Progressive advancement since the founding of the country. There are a number of people who say some other laws passed earlier superseded and were just as destructive but the FED and control of the nation’s banks, capital and the currency was certainly one if not the greatest accomplishment of these Progressives.

It is time for the Adults to take the stage. It is time to put the Democrats into time out in order to get this thing called America back on track. It is time for vast Conservative majorities in both the House and the Senate. I didn’t say Republican, I said Conservative. Veto proof majorities. It is pasttime. The petulant children with their socialistic, Marxist based, utopian dreams have run amok and made a big mess. They can no longer beenabled. They need to become the minority party for a good 20 year run. Many of the Progressive programs need to be eliminated or rolled wayback.

The Democrats always point to Bill Clinton as the good economic President. He left office with a surplus they say. Well, what old Bill Clinton had was a Republican controlled Congress for the last 6 of his 8 years in office. The longest Republican majority in 77 years in control of Congress and the majorities they held were nothing, compared to what the Democrats have enjoyed in the past withProgressive Democrats in the Presidency also. Ever wonder why Clinton had that surplus? It is because more Conservative people, for a change, controlled Congress for a very short period of time.

Posted by Jeff Morgan on 2012-07-08 17:28:59

I don't believe a word you've posted!

Posted by squirefld on 2012-07-08 17:25:03

2006-2011 Obama/Pelosi/Reid evil troikaDoubled the National Debt (1776-2005)Financial disaster"Jobs are our first priority"

Posted by LittleT on 2012-07-08 17:18:31

Clinton was a castrated liberal/moderate Republican, thanks to a Republican Congress. Let's give credit where it's due. But hey, you're on a roll!

Posted by LittleT on 2012-07-08 17:15:25

that's it, just keep your little heads in a hole. or whatever warm, moist, dark place you've had them installed.

flashback: after nov. 2008: "the republicans are dead"flashback: before nov. 2010: "it will be a close election"today: "the republicans are deadflashforward: after the nov. 2012 election: "people are stupid. the south is stupid. they stole the election" (by 8%)

fact: working people have finally had a nice big spoonful of socialist medicine. they don't like it. after nov., socialism in this country will begin a long, slow decline that will last for years (until it rears its poisonous head again in a few decades, like it always does)

Posted by hamidog on 2012-07-08 16:51:51

If you're out of a job blame Bill Clinton for pushing through Chinese admission to the WTO... This along with NAFTA was the deepest knife in the back of working class Americans EVER...Done by Democrats.

Posted by bluesdoc70 on 2012-07-08 16:51:19

household debt up 20% 2005-2007 Housing BustBlame Glass Steagall--took banking form local to Wall Street too big to fail and big timegaming5 own 50% of deposits in 7000 banks--10 own 80%Credit credit credit pushed loans on all people worthy or notSmashed Housing with big loans to private lenders and realtors to build homes too large too expensive for incomes...Price of homes grew 70% 2000-2008.

why not brag on successes?-------------------- SHOCK & AWE----------------------------------DEMOCRATS CREATE WEALTH AND JOBS-----------1.From Harding In 1921 to Bush in 20032.Democrats held White House for 40 years and Republicans for 42.5 years.3.Democrats created 75,820,000 net new jobs -- Republicans 36,440,000.4.Per Year Average—Democrats 1,825,200---Republicans 856,400.5.Republicans had 9 presidents during the period and 6 had depression or recession.6.Republicans had a recession/depression in 177 months and Democrats in 32 months. 7.DOW—1928 to 2003—Stock market gained 11% average per year under D presidents versus 2% under R presidents. Small Cap stocks gained 18% as yearly average under D and minus 3% under R. 8.GDP—grew by 43% more under Democrats.9.Income Growth—1948-2005--each increased (percentagewise)under D presidents over R presidents by these numbers-- Quintiles--(Top-10%)--(2nd-71%)-(third-127%)-(fourth-212%)-(fifth-550%) wowsource--TimothyNoah-- Nov. 2010 in Slate magazineQuestion—Why would a working person vote for a Republican for President?------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Comparing Democrat’s hero-CLINTON—versus Republican’s hero--REAGAN-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1.JOBS—grew by 43% more under Clinton.2.GDP---grew by 57% more under Clinton.3.DOW—grew by 700% more under Clinton..4.NASDAQ-grew by 18 times as much under Clinton.4.SPENDING--grew by 28% under Clinton---80% under Reagan.5.DEBT—grew by 43% under Clinton—187% under Reagan.6. DEFICITS—Clinton got a large surplus--grew by 112% under Reagan.7.NATIONAL INCOME—grew by100% more under Clinton.8.PERSONAL INCOME—Grew by 110% more under Clinton.SOURCES—Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.BLS.Gov)--Economic Policy Institute (EPI.org)—Global & World Almanacs from 1980 to 2003 (annual issues)www.the-hamster.com (chart taken from NY Times)National Archives History on Presidents. www.nara.govLA Times 10-11-00 on Market--www.Find articles.comA vote for a Republican is a vote for Less Success.A vote to reduce the Standard of Living for all Americans.

Posted by Clarence Swinney on 2012-07-07 06:59:41

Would it not be good to have excellent leadership again

CLINTON PRAISE-WITH PLEASUREGDP--rose from 6300 to 11,600NATIONAL INCOME-5,000 to 8,000 Billion--took 20 years to grow 2500B before ClintonJOBS CREATED--over 22 million--record by farAVERAGE WEEKLY EARNINGS--$360 to $478AVERAGE WEEKLY HOURS WORKED--never hit 35.0--hit that mark 4 times in 80'sUNEMPLOYMENT--from 7.2% down down down to 3.9%WELFARE TO WORK—11,533,710 on federal roll in 1996 and 3,880,321 in 2007.MINIMUM WAGE--$4.25 to $5.15MINORITIES--did exceedingly wellHOME OWNERSHIP--hit all time highDEFICIT--290 Billion to whoopee a SURPLUSDEBT----+28%---300% increase over prior12 yearsFEDERAL SPENDING--+28%---80% under Reagan- who da true conservative?DOW JONES AVERAGE--3,500 to 11,800 all it's history to get to 3500 and Clinton zooms it NASDAQ--700 to 5,000---all of it's history to get to 700 and Clinton zooms itVALUES INDEXES-- almost all bad went down--good went up in zoom zoom zoomFOREIGN AFFAIRS--Peace on Earth good will toward each other---Mark of a true Christian--what has Bush done to Peace on Earth?POPULARITY---highest poll ratings in history during peacetime in AFRICA, ASIA AND EUROPE even 98.5% in Moscow--left office with highest gallup rating since it was started in 1920's.STAND UP FOR JUSTICE--evil conservatives spent $110,000,000 on hearings and investigations and caught--- ONE--- very evil man who took a few plane rides to events.BOW YOUR HEADS--Thank you God for sending us a man of Bill Clinton's character, intelligence, knowledge of governance, ability to face up to crises without whimpering and a great leader of the world.THANK YOU GOD FOR THE GOOD TIMES THE CLINTON YEARS.